Capes
by Octavia Delitian
Summary: The dragon trainer look is suddenly the hottest trend and Clair is celebrated as a fashion icon. What will this do to her already inflated ego? Why does Erika of all people embrace the new look? How does this affect Lance? Why is Juan especially bothered?
1. Capes and Lemonade

Today was shopping day in Celadon. It did not happen very often, because it is not easy for the Champion of the Elite Four to get a day off, and Lance had spent the last of these battling Team Rocket in Mahogany Town. Dragonite walked three steps behind the dragon master, carrying six packs of the usual black "Deluxe Capes For the Active Man" distributed in two shopping bags that swung from its big paws.

As they walked past the book department Lance froze in his steps. "Ooo! Look at that, someone has written books about me! Just wait until Clair finds out!" He chuckled and held up a book of the Dragonlance series for his pokémon to behold.

"Uluuuumm!" Dragonite said. It tried to sound cheerful and polite, but did not know why his master was offering something that was not food. To its infinite relief, he put it down again.

"It is a bit odd, isn't it? What has Clair done to be so famous all of a sudden? Nothing! That is why she has time to be interviewed on radio. Meanwhile my life – sorry, _our_ lives - revolve around battling, saving the world and more battling."

"Hyyyoommmm," Dragonite said to signal that it was getting quite hungry from all the flying and walking.

"You're right. I should be happy that I am anonymous enough to walk through a mall without getting molested by fangirls."

When Lance and Dragonite were splitting a lemonade can in the shade of a tree in the park, a girl wearing a pale green swimsuit and a dark green cape approached them. _Oh no, I shouldn't have said that I was not bothered by fangirls._

"Hello Lance!" a voice that was strangely familiar said. Lance looked up from the ground, realizing that he could not escape and that he should have learned as a toddler that not seeing someone does not mean they cannot see you.

"Hello... Erika? You look unusual!" Lance wished that he could take back that exclamation and change it to something more polite. Erika was always so perfectly behaved, after all.

"Oh, I think your cousin's taste is just fabulous, and I can feel that it is good for me to try something new."

"Well... well." What could he say about that? "Care for a lemonade?"

"Is that what dragon trainers prefer?"

"How do you mean?"

"You know, do dragon trainers in general like to drink lemonade?"

"I... I don't think it is exclusive to dragon trainers to like lemonade, nor is it the case that we never drink anything else."

"Oh, no thanks then. I think I should return to the gym now. See you!"

Lance watched Erika disappear and then looked up to Dragonite. "What just happened?"


	2. Fashion Faux Pas

Juan woke up to another splendid morning in Sootopolis. "Ah, Sealeo, look at how the water glitters this morning," he said with a dreaming voice as they surfed across the glassy, still water. "Another day of elegance and dashing moves ahead!" He landed on the little island the gym was built on and put Sealeo back in its pokéball.

He opened the doors and jumped in with the usual flair and called out: "The gym leader has arrived! Come, girls, let us prepare for another glorious day!"

The girls came and Juan's jaw dropped, not in admiration of their beauty, but in bewilderment. Without exception, they had traded their usual outfits for swimsuits and capes in various glaring colors. The very sight of them hurt his eyes, his brain, his artistic soul.

"But girls... what are you wearing?" he almost sobbed. "Lady Brianna, you too? But you have more sense of style than this!" he directed this to a girl who usually wore the prettiest long dresses and hats, the very ideal of feminine beauty to Juan.

"Are you unaware of the new Blackthorn style? Even Erika of Celadon has traded her usual wardrobe for it, and you cannot tell me that she lacks a sense of style!"

"Blackthorn style, eh?" He was too polite to criticize the girls for their choices, even if he was sorely tempted to do so.

Marissa, who was almost Juan's own age, came trotting up to him with a magazine. "There she is," she said with a poorly suppressed squee. "Clair the Dragon Master! She is so great and everyone wants to be like her. I know I do!"

On the cover was a blue haired woman posing with a Dragonair. She was not really wearing a swimsuit, Juan could see. That was merely a simple copout for the girls who wanted to imitate her. She still did not have the air of a style icon and had no business being a covergirl.

"There's an interview on page 44," Marissa said.

Juan swallowed his pride and looked it up.

"I am what I have always been: Cool, beautiful and well dressed. I am happy that the world has finally realized this."

Juan merely pretended to read the interview after this quotation. He handed the magazine back to Marissa when he deemed that enough time had passed and gave her a strained smile. "Yes, I see now. Alright, let's get into position!"

The gym architecture saved him. As the girls headed downstairs they were out of sight for the remainder of the day and Juan could relax.

"Clair of Blackthorn, may you only be a fad for a day, or at most a week. Grace and beauty will win!"


	3. Tea

Erika woke up and after a moment's confusion realized that she was leaning her forehead against a wooden surface. She looked up and saw the counter at the old lady's tea shop in the Celadon Mansion. Why was she there?

The door opened and a girl in ninja garb entered. That was right, she was waiting for Janine! She sat down beside Erika and fixed her eyes on the already emptied cup on the counter. "Am I late?"

"No, I got here early. I felt I needed to have a cup to chase away this awful drowsiness. Alas, it did not help at all."

"Isn't there anything you can do? A cure?"

"My doctor has told me for a long time that I need to get away from the gym more. The spores are not good for me." Erika stifled a yawn and played with a corner of the cape.

"You can come to Fuchsia! We could walk the Safari Zone together and go to the beach."

"Thanks, but I actually already have plans. I'm thinking of going to Blackthorn. Meeting Clair is one of my biggest wishes right now, and I have wanted to get closer to my Dratini for a long time. I want to know what makes dragon trainers different from grass type trainers, or just trainers in general."

"You have a Dratini?" Janine made big eyes.

Erika nodded. "Do you remember how Team Rocket used to run the Game Corner here three years ago? They captured pokémon using very brutal methods and let people gamble to win them. When the operation was shut down the pokémon that remained were confiscated by the police and placed with trainers with good reputations. I agreed to adopt Dratini, and it's been living in the big pond in my garden ever since."

"I want to see it!"

"Later, I promise!"

Now the tea lady had arrived to take orders. "Ah, Erika! I almost forgot to say that the floral teas I make from your rose petals have almost sold out and I am in need of more soon!"

"I will prepare some for you tonight!" Erika smiled. "Is there enough left for a pot for two? I would like to let my friend try."

An hour later they walked through the park, up to Erika's garden. They entered the gates and walked behind the gym. There, at a large pond with a waterfall, all Erika's pokémon were basking in the sun with other grass type pokémon.

Erika motioned for Janine to stay back. "Dratini is very shy around strangers." Janine nodded and sat down on the soft grass. Erika got down on her knees by the water and called softly for the pokémon. There was a ripple at the far end of the pond, but nothing more. She called again. Now something moved, but without breaking the surface until it was right in front of her. A blue little head peeked up. "There you are," Erika said softly. "You're so good to come when I call." She rewarded it with a treat, and as soon as it had finished eating it vanished below the surface again.

Erika sat down beside Janine, feeling melancholy as always when she was around the poor pokémon. "Dratini is not used to handling. I think it is scared of humans after whatever Team Rocket did to it."

"Those... those, oh I should not curse in front of you but I have no polite words to describe them!" Janine exclaimed.

"I just want to help it." Erika sighed. "I hope Clair knows what to do."


	4. The Heartless Child

It was over. Lance had lost his title as Champion to the young new trainer who had showed so much promise back in Mahogany Town. He did not know exactly what he felt. Let down, for sure, but also happy that he had lost to this trainer. "You fought well, Dragonite." He gave his oldest pokémon, which had been with him since it was a little Dratini, a pat on the back. "I know that you are tired, but it is not a long way to Blackthorn."

"Ha!" came a somewhat high pitched voice from the shadows. "No wonder you lost when you reward your pokémon for their weakness!"

Lance looked around. "Who's there?" But there was no reply. He tried to shrug it off and climbed up on Dragonite's back.

"Yeah, that's right. Run away. You deserved the title even less than Gold. I will hunt him down, and I will win. Count on it!" The voice again. Lance gritted his teeth.

"Is it not the height of cowardice to stand hidden in the darkness and shout insults? Reveal yourself!"

"I am not hiding!" Silver, the red haired boy who challanged Lance and lost the day before, came out into the light.

"So it's you," Lance had scolded him after the battle. The way he drove his pokémon on without regard for their well being was shocking to see in someone so young. What made him like this? Who were his parents? "I'm not taking any more of your abuse. I hope that one day you will understand that without a heart, you are making yourself and others miserable. Dragonite, fly to Blackthorn!"

Dragonite jumped and got air under its wings. They rose higher and higher straight upward until they were above all buildings and trees. Looking down, Lance could still see Silver standing in the same spot staring up at him. "He is only a kid..." Lance raised his hand and waved goodbye. That made him scuttle off into the shadows again. "Did not expect that... poor thing, really. But that does not excuse the way he treats his pokémon."

"You must be slacking off, cousin!" was Clair's first words to him after landing in Blackthorn. She had of course already heard about his loss, as she was most likely monitoring all media now when there was a chance that she could hear about herself. "That the great Lance the Dragon Master would lose to a little kid!"

"You lost to him as well," Lance pointed out.

"I have a good mind to challenge you to a battle to settle once and for all who is the greatest Dragon Master, but there is no time for that." She threw back her cape and put her arms to the sides in a heroic posture. "I will leave in the morning! Goldenrod awaits me."

"Wait, you're leaving? What about the gym?"

"Oh, people will understand the importance of closing it for a while. Though, by all means, you may take over while I'm gone. You are not _that_ much worse than me, so I don't think that you'd embarrass the Dragon Clan with your performance."

"Very flattering words," Lance said. "Well, I'll think about it, but now my first priority is getting a good night's rest. Goodnight, and goodbye in case we don't meet tomorrow."


End file.
